The world’s first fourth-generation heat pump system, an essential thermal management component for electric vehicles (EVs), has been developed by Hanon Systems, the top worldwide automotive thermal management supplier for electrified mobility. Since July, the fourth-generation heat pump system has been offered for sale.
First introduced in South Korea in the Kia EV3, this revolutionary heat pump system will soon be produced in the United States and Europe. “We were able to proactively develop the first new technology in the world through close collaboration with our client,” stated Yoon Ho Wang, Vice-President of the AP Innovation Center at Hanon Systems Research Institute. “We are pleased to contribute to improving the driving experience of our customers’ electric vehicle users.”
The most recent heat pump system from Hanon Systems is the first to use a parallel heat source recovery technique, combining heat from the outside air with waste heat from the engine and battery. The range of an electric vehicle is greatly increased by using the recovered heat for battery temperature control, heating, and cooling.
Subu Nagasubramony, co-CEO of Hanon Systems, stated, “By continually refining our heat pump system design to improve efficiency and reduce power consumption requirements, Hanon Systems has contributed to extending EV driving range. As the world’s second-largest thermal management company, we will continue to strive for ‘lightweight’ and ‘high-efficiency’ components through continuous innovation.”
Hanon Systems pioneered the mass production of heat pump systems with waste heat recovery in 2015. The second-generation system, launched in 2018, added battery thermal management functions, making it the first integrated thermal management system to enhance EV driving range. The third generation, developed in 2021, was applied to Kia’s EV-dedicated platform and was the first to incorporate an 800V electric compressor, significantly reducing EV charging times.
Additionally, Hanon Systems has introduced Thin HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning). technology, a world first. Thin HVAC, as the name suggests, refers to a ‘reduced’ HVAC system. By reducing the overall HVAC system size by approximately 30%, it minimizes the exposure of the HVAC system area under the cockpit (dashboard component module), providing more legroom for passengers.
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